[9:30PM]
「Thirty minutes was all that was left before the hijacking begins, or at least that's what H.A.V.A says. Honestly, in the ears of a normal person, this all sounded like a fantasy or the words of a mentally unstable kid. Would you be able to believe it? While others awakened talents that allowed them to manipulate the laws of physics and control the atmospheric pressure, flame and water. I got the ability to gain and possibly create tech from my body, I didn't even awaken such talent, it literally fell from the sky.」
He pulled open his small wardrobe. Though he and his aunt lived in a three-bedroom apartment, they barely had enough to get by — yet somehow, they managed, and he was forever grateful, considering she was the only one willing to take him in and pay the medical bills after the death of his parents.
「Even after being electrocuted, I'm still having a hard time believing, maybe it's because I lost hope in miracles long ago, miracles that could completely rewrite the course of one's journey forward. But now, It doesn't matter whether I still believe in it or not..」
He pulled out a hoodie, leather pants, boots, fingerless gloves, and a nose mask, all black in color before shutting the wardrobe doors and putting them on before leaving the house.
「Real or not, I'll find out after tonight. Aunt Sonia won't be home from her shift till after 11, that gives me an hour to test out this new gear before she gets home.」
[9:40PM]
Less than ten minutes later, a taxi pulled up on a street directly across from East Avenue. A hooded figure dressed in all black stepped out — it was Mason. If H.A.V.A's algorithm was correct, the hijackers would arrive in twenty minutes.
In that case, caution was crucial. The streets were supposed to be clear, or at least, that's what the hijackers were counting on for their operation to succeed.
So he arrived at the designated location twenty minutes early.
"That's odd." Mason mumbled to himself as the taxi drove away. "When H.A.V.A said there'd be a hijacking, I was expecting it to be at a warehouse or something, so what the hell am I doing at the docks?"
East Avenue sat along the city's docks, a stretch of warehouses, loading cranes, and cargo containers where shipments came and went around the clock.
Almost immediately, the roar of an engine shattered the silence, several minutes after the taxi had left, prompting Mason to dash behind a nearby container.
As a van pulled up to the front of the docks, Mason watched in silence as three men stepped out, clad in sleek black clothing, bulletproof vests, and black masks. All holding assault rifles in their hands.
"Let's go." The largest man among them spoke with authority, his tone sharp and commanding — unmistakably the leader.
They moved carefully between the stacked containers, checking each one until they came across a single container set apart from the rest.
"There it is." The container bore a lightning bolt logo, with the words [Nex Industries] boldly printed across its side.
As they opened the container, Mason followed as cautiously as possible, careful not to make a sound. He took cover behind the nearest container, keeping a close eye on them from the shadows.
Within the large container, was a white van that also had the words [Nex Industries] printed across it's side, and several crates all around it.
"Hava."
[Yes master?]
"Is that van the target of the hijackers?"
[Yes master.]
"So your algorithm was right after all, damn, that's freaking awesome."
[Yes master, indeed I am right.]
"You don't have to glaze yourself so much."
The moment the leader of the hijackers opened the van's rear doors, a burst of bright light spilled out, briefly washing everything in white and blocking Mason's view of the men.
"WOO HOO! That's what I'm talking about!" One of the hijackers shouted, unable to contain his excitement as he opened the crates around the van.
"Shut up you damned idiot, are you planning on getting us caught?" The leader cautioned him as they all put on a black shade that blocked the lights from their eyes.
"Damn it, what's going on in there? I can't see a thing."
[I'm curious to know master, did you go through the panels I showed you earlier?]
"You mean the countless panels you showed me earlier? Yeah because my normal human brain can keep up with everything that's happened so far."
[If you did, you'd be aware of my many features which would be practical for situations like this.]
"Situations like this? You mean you can assist in giving me a closer look at the hijackers?"
[Yes, it is possible. I recommend the S.K.U.L.L feature.]
"You know since I met you, you've been throwing around words that sounds like trouble. But sure, activate Skull or whatever."
[Activating S.K.U.L.L]
The next instant, the touch panel of Mason's watch split in two and slid back into the casing, a soft mechanical whir followed. From the narrow opening, a stream of dark nanites poured out like liquid smoke, swirling in the air around his head. The nanites twisted and pulled together, shaping into a solid mask that locked into place over his face.
The mask was smooth and pitch black, split down the middle by a thin white line. Two glowing white eyes lit up, sharp and cold. The world in front of him changed — numbers, shapes, and symbols flashed across his vision.
"W-whoa... What is this?"
[S.K.U.L.L — The basic Strategic Kinetic User-Link Layout. It features a real time tactical layout, maps, marked enemy positions and movement predictions. It's other features includes night vision, augmented reality simulation, threat markers, and a live combat interface. But it's features are limited by a specific range.]
Mason chuckled, there were no words to describe what he felt, the amount of tech that was stacked into that one mask was unbelievable.
"I thought I just unlocked level one tech? Where the hell's this coming from?"
[While all in your arsenal is just the basic Dual Specter, S.K.U.L.L is just one of my features materialized physically to help you more efficiently since it is directly linked to your vision via the mask.]
"So you're saying this mask is you, just materialized physically to aid me more efficiently?"
[That's right.]
"That's friggin awesome, can you zoom into the container?"
[Affirmative.]
The white optics of the mask adjusted with a soft whir, zooming into the container . The image sharpened, cutting through shadows and distance, and within seconds, the contents inside came into full view.
Mason's eyes widened as the image came into focus and what he saw made his breath stuck in his throat.
Within the crates were weapons, not ordinary weapons. They were unlike anything the world had ever seen.
Not assault rifles. Not handguns or rocket launchers.
Inside the crates were highly advanced technology that seemed a bit to realistic, ranging from neuro-pulse cannons, plasma blasters, high-tech particle disruptors, and other advanced gear that looked like it belonged on a battlefield from the future.
It was the kind of tech and firepower that countries waged wars to acquire, the kind of tech that could wipe out an entire army in mere minutes.
But that wasn't all.
The leader of the three hijackers stepped forward and reached into the rear of the van, his hand closing around a red, glowing, translucent tube. It pulsed faintly in his grip, as if alive — humming with energy that sure as hell didn't belong in this world.
"This is what we've been looking for." He spoke with a voice so bold and sure, one could almost hear the grin behind his mask — sharp, smug, and full of confidence.
"We are taking everything, load everything into the van." With his order, the other two began picked up various weapons, ready to load it up into the van.
"H.A.V.A, what is that in his hands?"
[Most likely a form of power source, I have analysed the component and cross-referenced it with every known element in the planet. That tube in his hands is not registered under any known power source, I have measured its output and if weaponized could have severe consequences.]
"How severe?"
[If weaponized, it could level an entire continent in just a single second.]